This is a chronicle of key events in my continuing Masonic Journey and in my life. From time to time, I will also post information about matters which I think might be of interest or importance.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year!

It was a cold New Year's Eve. The temperature was in the low -30's C (with a windchill of about mid -30's C).

We welcomed 2014 at the home of RWB Junn Manalang. It was warm and comfortable once we got inside their house where, as usual. there was a lot of food for everyone. It seemed that the children never stopped eating. Well, even some of the adults also kept eating although there were hours between one eating session and the next one. Everyone had a wonderful time waiting for the New Year.

We called via facetime our daughter, Anna, who was working at Warren Hospital on the last night of her December Night Float rotation. She had her New Year come one (1) hour earlier as she is on Eastern Time and we are on Central Time. So we called her twice last night to wish her Happy New Year.

In the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2014 is the Year of the Horse which starts on January 31, 2014 (the Lunar New Year / Spring Festival of China) and ends on February 18, 2015. The spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people's ethos - making unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is energetiv, bright, warmhearted, intelligent and able. Ancient people liked to designate an able person as "Qianli Ma", a horse that covers a thousand li a day (one li equals 500 meters).

A rare event happens on the very first day of the new year 2014 - a “Supermoon”.
The term “Supermoon” is kind of a made up term, as it really just means perigee moon. That means the moon is at its closest approach to the Earth within its orbit. We will have the first of two “supermoons” on January 1, with a second coming on January 30, 2014. A new moon or full moon has to come within 361,863 kilometers (224,851 miles) of our planet, as measured from the centers of the moon and Earth, in order to be a supermoon.

This month's supermoons will not be seen because both are new moons. However, they will still have impacts on the Earth. Because the moon is so close, its gravitational pull will be greater. Thus tides in the ocean run higher (these are called astronomical high tides these are called). The supermoons also always have a similar effect on the atmosphere. Full and new moons can make the the atmosphere thicker or thinner which can intensify areas of low and high pressure.

May 2014 be all that you wish it to be for you and your family. Have a wonderful year - safe, peaceful, fulfilling and prosperous.

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About Me

Past Grand Master 2011/2012, Grand Lodge of Manitoba.
Husband and friend to Mae and father to Anna & Mikey.
"Freemasonry - a way of life"
"Shriners - having fun, helping kids"
"Masonic Youth Groups - making positive differences in lives of the youth"